1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a device and method capable of quickly clearing mine fields. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a device and method of quickly clearing anti-tank and anti-invasion mines within beach and surf zones. This device is capable of neutralizing targets containing an energetic fill, such as unexploded ordnance, energetic material storage tanks, or magazines, etc. The present invention comprises a flechette penetrator, containing a chemical neutralizing agent, that can kinetically damage TNT within anti-tank and anti-invasion mines to obtain the required surface area necessary for the chemical nuetralizing agent to react with the TNT, either neutralizing or destroying the mines.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Several inventions for neutralizing unexploded ordnance (UXO) have been patented. U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,055 discloses an apparatus for nuetralizing UXO by penetrating the UXO and injecting the UXO with liquid nitrogen in order to cool the fuse of the UXO to below its operating temperature. This apparatus is designed to neutralize only one UXO at a very small stand off distance because the penetrating mechanism is connected a tank of liquid nitrogen. Therefore, personnel would be required to approach the UXO in order to use the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,939 discloses a shaped charge device that penetrates a UXO and injects a disruptive material such as water, latex or gelatin to deactivate the detonator of the UXO. This device must also be positioned in front of the UXO by personnel in order to use the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,184 discloses a device having a shaped charge containing reservoirs of reactive material. The device penetrates the UXO by detonation of the shaped charge and injects the reactive material into the UXO, through gases generated by the shaped charge explosion, in order to neutralize the UXO so it does not detonate. Again, this device must be placed in front of a UXO by personnel in order to operate the device. This device is also designed to neutralize the UXO without detonating said UXO.
The major problems associated with these patented inventions are that they have been designed to neutralize one specific UXO due to the fact that they must be physically placed in front of the UXO in order to operate. These devices use energetic material that must be individually fuzed to operate. Also, they have been designed to neutralize the UXO and not detonate the UXO. This is due to the fact that personnel must be so integrally involved in the operation. For large mine clearance operations, however, neutralization or detonation of the mines are appropriate, as long as no further hazard exists for personnel entering an area after the mine clearance operation has been completed.
Several mine clearance systems have also been developed by the Navy and Marine Corp to explosively neutralize mines. These systems include Distributed Explosive Technology (DET) arrays, Shallow Water Assault Breaching (SABRE) line charges and M58 line charges. The DET system consists of a 180 foot by 180 foot detonating cord array and is deployed using two rocket motors. The SABRE system is a 400 foot long line charge, composed of 130 15-pound explosive loaded charges. This system is deployed using a single rocket motor. The M58 line charge is a 350 foot long line charge, composed of 2.5-pound plastic explosive blocks. This system is deployed using a single rocket motor. Both the DET and SABRE systems are used to clear mines in the surf zone between the high water mark on a beach and a 10 foot water depth. The M58 system is used to clear mines only on land. There are problems associated with each of these systems. First, these systems use bulk explosives to neutralize mines and the effectiveness of each system is limited to the specific land or sea conditions for which each system was developed. Second, these systems have large logistic footprints, require rocket motors for deployment, and are extremely heavy (between 2000 and 4000 pounds). Also, because of the deployment technologies required for these systems, the DET and SABRE systems are deployed from landing craft, air cushioned vehicles and the M58 system is launched from a trailer attached to a tracked vehicle, personnel are required to be present, and, therefore, could be subject to hostile fire. All of these systems have limited stand-off capability (less than 600 feet from launch point) and have limited operational capability in adverse weather conditions.
Due to the limitations of the current technology described above, a device is required by the military to enable the quick, efficient clearance of surf zones and beach zones containing mines. The present invention addresses this requirement. The invention is a device for clearing containers having hazardous fills comprising a housing assembly with a chamber therein that carries a surface contact chemical that, upon reaction with the hazardous fill within the container, the hazardous fill is consumed via combustion, deflagration, explosion, or detonation. A nose assembly is attached to the housing assembly. The nose assembly separates from the housing assembly when the device contacts a solid mass. The nose assembly is capable of penetrating a mine housing and contacting the hazardous fill sufficiently to expose the fill whereby the surface contact chemical can react with the fill, causing the fill to be consumed. The device is capable of clearing mines or other hazardous filled containers that are located under water, on the surface, or buried on land or on a beach. The device operates in the following manner. The device is propelled toward a mine. The nose assembly of the device would contact the container. When the nose assembly contacts the container, the housing assembly of the device would separate from the nose assembly. This gives the surface contact chemical the ability to flow. The nose assembly would penetrate the container and contact the hazardous fill within the container. This exposes the hazardous fill sufficiently to react with the surface contact chemical. The surface contact chemical will continue to flow behind the nose assembly, due to the momentum working on the device, until the chemical reacts with the hazardous fill, causing the hazardous fill to be consumed, ending the hazard. When dealing with mines, it is also possible that the nose assembly can impact the fuze assemble of the mine directly, and either activate and spend the mine or render the fuze mechanism inoperable, thereby neutralizing the mine.
The present invention also includes a method of using a plurality of such devices in order to conduct a mine clearance operation in water, on land, or on a beach. Many of the devices may be propelled from a large stand-off distance due to the small size of the device. To clear a surf or beach zone containing multiple mines, a sufficient number of devices are propelled toward the area to ensure that each mine is penetrated by at least one device as described above. This allows the area to be rendered safe for military personnel and equipment to land.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to neutralize containers having hazardous fills.
It is a further object of this invention to neutralize or destroy mines in water, on land or buried in sand.
This invention accomplishes these objectives and other needs related to neutralizing and detonating containers having hazardous fills.